Only What We Can Handle
by M J Azilem
Summary: Jessie looses 3 of his brothers in a horrible accident. Now he has to raise their children. can he handle it? only God knows. Focuses on Jessie and Luke,&the growing up of the 3 cousins. Please R & R thank you
1. Chapter 1

**The Dukes of Hazzard**

**Only What We Can Handle**

I don't own anything. Plus I don't know the whole story behind the Dukes (does anyone) so this story is just my idea of what might have happened and I've made up a few names just to make the story more believable.

**Part 1: Moonshine Jars and Toy Cars**

"Running Moonshine locally is one thing but running it all the way to Savannah that's just plum foolish if you ask me. You all got families to think about." Jessie Duke watched three of his brothers pack crates with jars of their Family's Moonshine and shook his head at their plans.

"Jessie you couldn't understand, you only got you and Martha to feed, John, Bailey, and me we got our kids to support and this draught is threatening to destroy all our crops and bankrupt us." Tom's words stung Jessie it was true he didn't know what they had to deal with; he was the only one of his Brother's with no youngens. Tom's son Lucas was nearly two. Bailey and his wife Catherine had a darling baby girl just over a year old they called Daisy and John just had his first son Bo who was just about six months.

"Isn't there another way you all can go about getting some more money, you know the revenuers have been snooping mighty close recently. You fellas shouldn't risk being thrown in Jail for a few extra dollars." The other's continued on like they all had in the past. The Dukes had been making and running Moonshine for hundreds of years, it was not an unknown business to them. Jessie in fact was one of the best and had complete trust in his brothers. What was bothering him was them going so far out of familiar territory.

"Look Jessie we got us a plan. Our wives want to go down to Savannah to visit some friends so we take them down there and drop them off then we make the run to Bailey's contacts and we're done. We'll tell the girls that we want to go look around the country side and none of them will be the wiser. Besides we can't call it off now we've already given our word we'd make the delivery and the Girls are all packed and ready and Martha already agreed to watch the children for the weekend. We'll be back Monday evening, so you needn't worry about us. Just take good care of the children." John the fair hair Duke brother loaded the back of his truck and covered the crates with a tarp.

"You know Martha and I love those children as our own and wouldn't let no harm come to them." Jessie did love spending time with his niece and nephews and was looking forward to that part of the weekend.

"We know Jessie and we love you for it." Bailey slapped him on the back.

"I still wish you'd reconsider." Jessie tried once more to stop them he had a bad feeling about this run.

"If wishes were nickels Jessie we'd all be rich. Look don't worry we'll see you in a couple of days and we'll all go get a drink over to the Boars Nest." Tom winked at him and smiled. Jessie had brothers as stubborn as himself and knew there was nothing he could do at this point but wish them luck and pray for their safe return.

* * *

When Jessie reached his Farm house the place was already a twitter with little feet and curious hands. "Howdy Martha Darlin I see the other girls have already come and gone." Martha sat in the front yard in a rocking car rocking a sleeping baby boy in her arms with a little girl crawling at her feet; his wife looked the very picture of feminine beauty when Jessie greeted her that evening.

She laughed softly "They were a mix of emotions all at once heart broken to leave and chomping at the bit to go. Of course I don't see how anyone would want to leave sweet little ones like these." She nodded down to Bo who yawned in his sleep and Daisy who was content sucking her pacifier and she smiled.

"Little Luke on the other hand already has me worn out. He's the spitting image of the Terrible Twos and he's still got Three months before it's official. Jessie turned to see a pint sized dark haired boy in little overalls barefoot casing a chicken.

The little boy spotted Jessie and forgot the flustered chicken. Running to Jessie Luke tripped and fell. He caught himself on his hands and was stunned for a moment, he looked to Jessie to see if he should cry or not. Jessie scooped the toddler up into his arms and smiled

"Let me see." Jessie looked at Luke's tiny hands they were dirty and a little scraped. "You'll be alright. Let's go inside and wash off and get something for supper. Jessie knelt down and picked up Daisy with his other arm and followed Martha into the house.

Jessie and Martha were always thrilled to have children brighten up their home but usually when they were there it was with their parents or they were only watching one of the children for the night. They had never handled three at once and it was turning into a new adventure.

Martha set Bo in the baby carrier on the Table. Jessie put Daisy in the High Chair and helped Luke wash his hands at the kitchen sink and then sat him at the table and turned his back to get the plates. This proved unwise because when he turned back Luke was gone.

"Luke?" Jessie checked under the table. Martha came back into the kitchen with a bag of baby food jars for Luke and Daisy.

"What about Luke?" She asked her husband who was in a very amusing pose crouched looking under the table.

"Did you see where he went? I looked away for a second." Jessie headed into the living room and jumped into action as he saw Luke reaching up onto a table to grab one of Martha's flower vases.

"Whoa there Luke, that's not a toy son." Jessie took the vase out of the little boys grasp.

"Mine." The little boy said defiantly.

"It's not yours now back to the kitchen with ya." Jessie moved the vase to a high shelf and took a look around the living room. "Martha we've got to child proof this house."

"I know dear, we'll do it later, let's eat." Jessie moved another of Martha's knick knacks to a higher place and then went back to the kitchen. Martha had put a pot of beef stew on the table and Luke promptly stood up on his chair and started to reach for the pot.

"Luke stop that's hot." Jessie again ran interference for another impending disaster. Martha turned around from where she had been heating a bottle for Bo in time to see Jessie grab the hot pot with his own hands.

"Yyaaaoooww" he hollered as he dropped the pot back on the table.

"Jessie!" Martha Jumped up and Grabbed a towel. Jessie ran his hands under the kitchen faucet. Luke was wide eyed and upset. Daisy giggled, and Bo began to cry. "It's not all lost is it?" Jessie asked Martha as she cleaned off the table.

"No not much was spilled it'll be fine. Did you burn yourself?" She threw the rag she had used in the sink and went to comfort Bo.

"No, I'm not burnt." Jessie went back to the table were Luke was sitting and pouting. "Stick that lip back where it goes sonny. It's time to eat."

* * *

"That was exhausting" Martha climbed into her and Jessie's bed that night.

"I know." Jessie looked down at Daisy and Bo who were in the crib at the end of their Aunt and Uncle's bed sound asleep and Luke was tucked in tightly to the guest bed.

"Luke is just a little ball of lighting. But they're all sooo cute." Martha mused

Jessie Climbed in Beside her. "I know."

"I'm kind of sad we have to give them back on Monday." She whispered in his ear.

"I know dear. Maybe someday we'll have a couple of our own." He whispered back

"I hope so"

"Yeah me too, just not all at the same time maybe we'll space them out a little more." Jessie kissed her goodnight and turned out the bedside lamp.

* * *

Jessie knew it was too early to be up when a tug on the blanket on his side of the bed woke him up. He rolled over, opened his eyes and jumped when he saw Luke staring back at him. Little Luke was just tall enough so that on his tip toes his eyes could be seen.

"Hey there Luke what are you doing up so early?" Jessie softly climbed out of bed so not to wake anyone else, picked up the Luke and went into the kitchen. It was 4:30 in the morning and was very dark out so Jessie turned on the light over the kitchen sink and got one of Luke's sippy cups with juice in it and handed it to Luke. Luke drank the juice and then Jessie guided him back to bed. While tucking him in the toddler asked in a very toddler way. "Uncle Jessie where Mama and Dada?"

"Luke there on a trip they'll be back soon. Now go back to sleep." Jessie tucked the boy in tightly and then went to get dressed; he would have been getting up in an hour anyway no sense in going back to bed now.

* * *

"You haven't heard anything from your brothers yet Jessie?" Martha hung the wash on the line as Jessie came back from the barn with a bucket of chicken feed. Luke followed Jessie the little boy had grown attached to his uncle in the two and a half days he's been on the farm.

"No Martha, I haven't heard anything." Jessie was getting worried and anxious. He should have heard something from them by now. If nothing else Catherine, Susan, and Willow May should have called to check in on their children.

* * *

It was late in the afternoon on Monday when the world stopped for the Duke Family. The phone call came from Savannah. Martha answered and spoke with the man on the other end. Before the conversation ended she was in hysterics and Jessie came running in from outside.

"Who is it? What's the matter?" Martha held the phone out to him as she sat down at the kitchen table sobbing. Jessie took the phone and spoke to the man on the other end. Luke who had followed his uncle in climbed up on his Aunt Martha's lap and hugged her tightly.

* * *

Jessie and Martha sat in the funeral home. Both were very quiet and calm, after hearing of the deaths of their family members in a car accident in Savannah they had composed themselves and got to work making phone calls and plans. They were on autopilot, shocked and in a state of disbelief but they moved they had to.

"Well Tom was a veteran so his arrangements will be taken care of by the state. That leaves my brothers John and Bailey. Tom's wife Willow May and John's wife Susan who didn't have any other close relations. Bailey's wife Catherine's arrangements are being taken care of by her parents."

They were both thinking the same thing but Martha said it "How are we going to pay for this funeral and three children?" She looked at the three children at her feet who were nearly oblivious to what was going on and her heart broke.

"Martha we've got kin that'll all help and well if I need too I'll…I don't know double my moonshine run and get an extra job. And you could do some sewing for the lady's in town to help out." Jessie looked threw a book of tombstones and broke a little inside.

* * *

The day of the Funeral was cold and rainy, a fitting day for a funeral. All of Hazzard County gathered at the church to mourn its lost sons and daughters. Dukes from all over came to pay their respects and all the family of Jessie's sisters in law were there too. People wept and women wailed, hands were shook solemnly and hugs were given freely.

And people whispered. They whispered about 'how such a think could happen?' 'Hadn't they had all been such experienced drivers' and 'what a shame they were all so young' then 'Was the Law to blame' and most of all they whispered about 'who would take the children.'

The first thought most Hazzard folk thought was that Jessie and Martha should take the children being they were all so close to the deceased and the youngens, but then there were those who thought otherwise.

It was at the wake back at Jessie and Martha's home that things were said out loud.

"Jessie we need to talk." Catherine's Father stopped Jessie outside the house. Jessie had met Catherine's family on a couple of occasions, they were pleasant people, they had a horse farm a few counties away.

"What can I do for you Joel?" Jessie sadly looked at the man who had also suffered a great loss.

"Well Jessie, The misses and I we'd like to take custody of our grand baby." Joel looked at him square and Jessie returned his gaze knowingly.

"You've got every right to raise Daisy, Joel. Martha and I will miss her but we won't argue with you." Martha would be broken up to let the little girl go. Though Jessie had a special place in his heart for the little girl he knew she belonged with her grandparents, besides he and Martha would have their hands full with just the two boys.

"I just wanted to have a talk about her, I'm glad she's got family on her Daddy's side because after me and Betty their ain't no one else. It'll do her grandmama's heart good to know that we'll have a little piece of our Catherine with us." Joel and Jessie shook hands and went in the house to join the rest of the mourners.

* * *

"I knew they'd want to take her." Martha got teary eyed in the kitchen when Jessie told her what Joel had told him.

"It'll be alright Martha, Daisy belongs with her Grandparents and they aren't that far away, we can go and visit her." Jessie took Martha in his arms and comforted her as he had a lot in the past few days since the accident. He still wasn't sure what happened in Savannah and it grieved him something awful. All he knew was his brothers were dead and he had to carry on the Hazzard county Dukes alone.

"I know. I know it. It just…" Martha looked up into her husband's eyes, they had gotten older and maybe wiser in the past few days and she knew what had to be done. "I'll go put her things together so Joel and Betty can take her back tonight."

"Thank you Darlin." Jessie kissed the top of her head and held her close for another moment, and then they both went to do what needed to be done.

* * *

Jessie spoke to a few kinsfolk and condolence givers and headed into the living room where he saw Daisy on the lap of her Grandmother and he saw Bo in the arms of his Great Aunt Edith, but he couldn't seem to find Luke. "Now where did that boy run off too?" Jessie muttered under his breath. It was becoming a pattern with the little boy, if someone wasn't paying close attention to him every second he'd wonder off and then Jessie wouldn't be able to find him for a good while. Jessie was starting to think that maybe he wasn't cut out to be a parent, maybe he just didn't have the skill, or maybe Luke was just really good at hiding.

Jessie first peered under the tables, not seeing the little boy he was inclined to ask his Great Aunt Edith who was eyeing him suspiciously "Aunt Edith have you seen Luke?"

"I thought Martha had him." Jessie breathed a sigh of relief. As long as someone was with Luke he couldn't get far. Jessie went back to his bed room and found Martha packing Daisy's things in the little girl's bag.

"Jessie, have you seen that little outfit Daisy had on when she got here, the pink one? I know I washed it and now I can't seem to find it." Martha was concentrating on the work at hand and Jessie didn't see his little nephew anywhere.

"Sorry Martha I haven't seen it. Have you seen Luke?" Martha looked up from her work and scanned the room.

"OOhhh dear. He was here just a second ago." Martha's eyes began to water again. "Jessie how are we going to do this, I can't even keep track of him for five minuets. I'm not fit to be these children's keeper." Martha folded onto the bed.

"Now Martha you need to stay strong, this is going to take some learning but we'll raise'em the best we can." Jessie brushed her long hair off her face and wiped a stray tear from her cheek. "Come on Darlin, we've got to find that youngin."

* * *

It didn't take long find Luke; he had only been in the next room. He had gone into the guest room and opened the closet to find in the back corner among some old boxes a little wooden car with wheels that really spun. Out of the closet it could be seen that the little wooden car had a faded 01 painted on both sides, though the little boy was too young to truly know that. He had then started crawling around pushing the little car and that's how Jessie and Martha found him.

"Aawww isn't that cute? That's the little car you made when you were a boy isn't it."

"It is, I'd forgotten we still had that." Martha kissed Jessie on the cheek; she knew he was recalling playing with that little car with his brothers.

"I'm going to go check on our quests, why don't you stay here and keep a close eye on young Lucas." Martha squeezed his hand and Jessie went and sat on the bed and watched Luke use the oval throw rug on the floor as racetrack for the little car. It was in this moment that Jessie knew he could raise his brother's children, that all it would take was a lot of love and a lot of patients. His family was counting on him and he wouldn't let them down.


	2. A Rose By Any Other Name

**The Dukes of Hazzard**

**Only What We Can Handle**

**Part 2: A Rose By Any Other Name**

It was a bright afternoon in May as Jessie waited in his truck as Luke and Bo got off the school bus. The brown haired little seven year old had a cross look on his face and puffy red eyes. Jessie's younger fair haired nephew wore a big grin. The two boys climbed up into the passenger side of the truck

"Hi Uncle Jessie." Bo grinned threw his curly blond hair. Jessie thought he needed a hair cut but Martha loved the little boy with his curls.

"Howdy boys how was school." Jessie asked as he started the truck. Jessie heard Luke mutter something about it being 'fine' while Bo went on and on describing in detail what he'd done in kindergarten, including passing out snack at snack time and making a card for Aunt Martha for Mother's Day which was this weekend.

"Well that sounds very nice Bo. What did you do today Luke?" Jessie confronted the grumpy child.

"I didn't do anything." Luke huffed and crossed his arms over his chest.

"But I thought your teacher asked you to find out what color and flower your aunt liked so you could make a card?" Jessie questioned.

"Yeah well…" Luke didn't finish he instead looked angrily out the window.

* * *

When they got to the farm Martha was hanging laundry on the line. Bo jumped out of the truck after Luke and ran to his aunt with his card held high. "Aunt Martha, Aunt Martha look what I made for you." 

Martha took the card and smiled "Oohh Bo it's lovely." Bo's eyes sparkled at the compliment then his expression dropped. "Oh whoops."

"What's wrong honey?" Martha looked concerned.

"I wasn't supposed to give you the card till Sunday." Martha smiled warmly at the child.

"That's alright, here you take the card and you can give it back to me on Sunday, alright." Martha handed him back the card and Jessie watched as Bo happily took the card and ran in the house. Jessie then noticed that Luke was nowhere to be seen, not much had changed in the five years the boys had been with Jessie and Martha. If you took your eyes off Luke for a moment he disappeared.

"Luke?" Jessie went looking for the seven year old. He found him throwing rocks in the field behind the barn. "Luke what's got you worked up? Did something happen at school today?" Luke picked up a stone and threw it extra hard out into the field.

"Stupid kids and stupid holidays." Luke got a frustrated look on his face.

"Luke what are you talking about boy?" Jessie pushed his red cap up and scratched his head. Luke sat day in the grass and pulled his mother's day card out of his book bag.

"In class we were making Mother's day cards today and well Caleb Strate asked me who I was making mine for and I said I was making my card for my Aunt Martha and the other kids said that I couldn't make it for Aunt Martha cause she's my Aunt and not my mother. I just, I know she's not my real mother but she's like my mother isn't she?" Luke looked so conflicted. Jessie knew something like this was coming sooner or later. Kids get curious. Darn the Strate family and their naïve ignorance, Sonny Strate and both his boys Enos and Caleb could be so aggravating and at the same time so harmless that you couldn't be angry with them.

."The kids just wouldn't leave me alone. They said that Kendall Brooks didn't have a mother but she was making her grandma a card and that she could do that because that was her mama's mama but that I didn't even have a grandmama to make a card for. And then Kendall said that her Aunt had her own children to make her mother's day cards. And I just don't understand Uncle Jessie are you and Aunt Martha me and Bo's parents?" The little boy looked up at his uncle and Jessie took a seat in the grass next to the little boy and put his arm around the boy's shoulders.

"Luke your aunt and me we've never made it a secret that you and Bo's mamas and daddies passed on when you were both just babies. And we've tried to raise you both the best we could in there absence. I know for one that your Aunt Martha and me we love you like you were are son and Bo too. A wise Feller named Shakespeare once said that "a Rose by any other name would smell as sweet" and what I guess he was getting at was even though you and Bo don't call us Mama and Daddy we're raising you boys like you were are own sons so that makes us your parents." Luke smiled and Jessie shared his smile.

"Now go but your books inside, we've got chores to do before dinner." Luke nodded and went and did as he was told. Jessie stayed sitting in the grass for awhile longer.

He wondered if he'd handled that situation right. He knew that life was going to be hard for his boys not having their real parents and things like this were bound to happen. He knew God never gave anyone more then they could handle, if nothing else maybe it would make Bo and Luke close when they grew up. He was certain that he loved those boys and if he could he would have made it so nothing would ever hurt them again.

**To Be Continued…. **

**Please Read and Review, I'd love to hear your thoughts. Thanks for reading**


	3. Sugar, Spice, and Puppy Dog Tails

**Dukes of Hazzard**

**Only What We Can Handle**

**Part 3: Sugar, Spice, and Puppy Dog Tails**

It was a hot June night in Hazzard County Georgia. Jessie and Martha Duke sat out on their front porch.

"Martha I think you better put that cross stitching away, you'll ruin your eyes in this dim light." Jessie looked back at his wife from the step he sat on.

"I know I should I was just trying so hard to get it finished, before tomorrow." Martha did look up from her work when the front screen door opened and Luke stood there in his Pajamas.

"What's tomorrow Aunt Martha?" Luke stood at her rocking chair and looked over her shoulder at her Stitching. There was a cross stitched poem in blue and pink. Snips and snails, And puppy dog tails, That's what little boys are made of. Sugar and spice, And all things nice, That's what little girls are made of.

"Luke we told you earlier today, tomorrow your cousin Daisy comes to live with us." Martha put down her stitching and took the boy in front of her and re buttoned his night shirt that hadn't been buttoned straight. "You remember your cousin Daisy don't you?"

Luke shook his head. "Well then you'll meet her tomorrow and your going to be nice to her aren't you."

Luke nodded. "Is she going to be living here long? Is that why I have to share a room with Bo now?"

"That's right you and Bo are going to have to share a room so that Daisy can have her own room." Jessie explained.

"But why does Daisy get her own room aren't I older then she is?" Jessie and Martha laughed, but Luke didn't understand.

"Luke little girls and little boys can't share a room." Martha got to the heart of the matter.

"Then why don't you and Daisy share a room Aunt Martha." Jessie and Martha laughed again.

"Luke it's too late to be answering all these question, why don't you go to bed and we'll talk about it more in the morning." Jessie got up and opened the door for his nephew who hugged his aunt and said good night and went to bed.

"Martha, I get the feeling we're entering into a whole new adventure." Jessie helped Martha gather her sewing things.

"I think you're right. What time are you going to go get her tomorrow?" They went in the house, locked the front door, and turned out the lights in the living room.

"I was thinking I'd start out about 8, I think if all goes well we should be back by noon." Jessie sat on the bed and unlaced his boots.

"I hope all does go well. Ooohh how hard this must be for Betty, loosing Joel and now having to give up young Daisy and be but in a nursing home. Why it's one of the saddest things I've ever heard." Jessie agreed and nodded his head. "Jessie when we go lets go together. I don't think I'd want to go on without you." Jessie looked up at Martha who was unclasping her necklace.

"If it is at all within my power Martha you won't ever be alone." He got up and crossed the room. Embraced and kissed her.

* * *

"Bo please go and wash your hands, you need to get dressed." Martha stood in what was now Daisy's room much to Luke's dismay and urged her youngest nephew to stop playing with the goat and go clean up.

"When are Uncle Jessie and cousin Daisy going to get here?" He peeked threw the window into the room his Aunt was fixing up.

"Any second now, Bo. Will you please come in and get washed up so you look presentable. And where is Luke? I swear that boy's part bird. He must fly off when I'm not looking." She neatly finished making the bed and went outside.

"Lucas K. Duke, where'd you run off too? I need you in this house now." Martha Called from the porch as Bo ran pasted her into the house tracking dirt. "Beauregard stop right there." Martha hurried after him to keep him from wrecking the whole house she'd spent all morning cleaning.

* * *

Luke heard his Aunt calling him from where he sat up in the hay loft, but he didn't want to come down, and he didn't want to get ready. This whole thing made him nervous, who was this girl that had his Aunt and Uncle so worked up. All he knew was she had already stolen his room and he had to share his family with her, did he really have to get dressed up in his church clothes for her too? Dumb girl, she's probably going to have all kinds of dolls and little pink dresses and he wouldn't be aloud to touch her stuff or get her dirty. Girls were like that: all prissy and stuff. And then Aunt Martha would always take her side cause she was a girl too and they'd probably make it so he couldn't go outside and play or have any fun. They'd probably make it so he had to sit in his good clothes in the house all day long playing tea party or dress up with this dumb girl. Then he and Bo would have to do all the chores so that pretty little Daisy didn't get her hands dirty. Well he didn't like it and wasn't coming down.

Luke heard Uncle Jessie's truck pull up. He stayed seated in the hay loft with his knees pulled against his chest. He heard Aunt Martha greet Daisy and Uncle Jessie ask why he and Bo weren't there to greet her too. Aunt Martha explained that Bo had gotten all dirty and was getting dressed now and that she hadn't been able to find Luke, that he hadn't come when she called him. Now Luke knew he was going to be in trouble, if Uncle Jessie found him hiding up here and purposely being impolite to cousin Daisy he'd probably do chores alone for a week. So there was only one thing to do. Luke climbed down from the hay loft and snuck out the back of the barn where he picked up a few things that would help smooth things over.

* * *

"There you are. Luke where have you been I was calling for you." Martha put her hands on her hips.

"I'm sorry Aunt Martha; I was just trying to find some pretty flowers that you could put in Daisy's room." Luke held out the small purple flowers he had found in the back of the barn.

"Well wasn't that nice of you." Aunt Martha took the flowers and smiled and Luke knew all was forgiven.

"Well meet your Cousin Daisy, Luke." Jessie stepped aside so Luke could see a brown haired long legged girl as tall as he was. Luke was surprise to find her not in a frilly pink dress but a pair of jeans and sneakers.

"Hi Daisy." Luke just kinda looked at her not knowing what to do next.

"Daisy why don't you thank Luke for the flowers he brought you." Aunt Martha suggested.

"UUmm Thank you Luke." Daisy looked a bit shy and reluctant. Both of the kids where standing there feeling awkward.

"Your uuummm welcome." Luke kicked at a rock on the ground.

"Well then, lets all get some lunch. Then maybe you can show Daisy around the farm Luke." Jessie suggested and He and Martha headed into the house. Both stopped suddenly when they heard a "thud" behind them. Turning Jessie and Martha saw Luke on the ground after being pushed by Daisy. Daisy had run off giggling and after composing his bruised pride Luke smiled and ran after her.

"Well that's interesting." Jessie watched the two children play tag back and forth.

"Don't you remember when we were that young? They like each other, thank goodness; they're going to be friends." Martha was so glad. She had been worried about Luke being jealous, or Daisy not being interested in the boys.

Bo finally came out on to the porch in his good cloths "What's going on? Did I miss something?" Bo watched as his cousins ran and rolled around on the ground.

"Hey guys I want to play too." Bo ran out after them. Before Aunt Martha could catch him.

"No Bo not in your good cloths."

"Aawww let him go Martha; they can be washed and mended." Jessie Laughed.

"Yeah well if he ruins those good cloths, you're going to have to get your sewing kit out and fix them cause I'm not." Martha laughed and sat on the porch and watched the children play.

* * *

After lunch Luke asked if he could take Daisy into the woods at the edge of there property and dig for worms for fishing.

"Yes you can as long as you're back before dinner and as long as you take Bo with you." Jessie went out to the barn with them and got the kids a bucket.

"Alright Uncle Jessie." Luke took the bucket and the three cousins headed out over the field.

* * *

"Wow you had horses?" Luke asked Daisy as he walked threw the woods searching for worms.

"Yep all kinds of horses." Daisy climbed over a log and jumped over to a big rock.

"And did you have ponies too?" Bo followed her.

"Yep we had ponies, and some chickens, and I had a cat named midnight, and we had an old dog named Chester." Daisy looked sad for a moment, thinking about the things she had had.

"Well we've not got any horses, but we got a donkey, a goat, a cow, some chickens, a duck or two, and a barn cat named Tessa." Bo listed enthusiastically.

Luke found what he was looking for, some damp earth by a small creek "this looks like a good place to dig." He knelt down and moved the dirt with his hands.

"Those are some good fishing worms." Bo picked some up out of the dirt and put them in the bucket. Luke took a handful of dirt and worms and put them in the bucket.

Daisy climbed up a tree near by and looked around the woods. "Luke, Bo. Who's that?" Daisy pointed off ahead of them.

"Who?" Luke got up and looked in the direction Daisy was pointing.

"See two men over there. The one man looks like a big marshmallow." Daisy laughed.

"Like a Marshmallow?" Bo asked.

Luke knew only one man that dressed all in white. "That must be Boss Hogg; the other man must be the Sheriff Coltrane."

"What are they doing out here on our land?" Bo stood up too.

Luke got a mischievous look in his eyes. "I don't know, let's go find out."

* * *

"Boss what are we doing out here on Jessie Duke's farm?" Rosco Snuck around behind Boss Hogg and threw the woods.

"We are looking for Jessie's still you numbskull so that I can put him out of business and eliminate the competition." Boss chuckled and Rosco giggled.

Boss and Rosco walked a little farther and were stopped when a couple of kids came out of no where.

"Whoa, where'd you come from?" Boss stopped short and threw up his arms. "Bo Duke what are you doing out here, and Whooo is your friend." Boss snidely asked.

"Howdy there Bo, what are you doing way out here? Is Jessie with you?" Rosco smiled and waved at the little boy.

"Howdy Mr. Boss Hogg, Sheriff Coltrane. This is my cousin Daisy Duke." Boss and Rosco nodded and Boss was about to say something when he and Rosco started to jump.

"Boss do you feel that?" Rosco started wriggling.

"Yes I do! What is that?" Boss started reaching around to his back. Bo and Daisy started giggling at the two men dancing around.

"Rosco come here! Look at my collar." Boss tried to hold as still as he could so Rosco could look.

"Oh oh Boss it's ooohhh." Rosco started jumping.

"What is it?" Boss sounded desperate.

"Worms." Rosco started picking the worms out of Boss's and his shirts.

"Worms?" Boss figuratively hit the roof. "Where did worms come from?" Then Boss and Rosco looked up to see Luke Duke on a tree branch above them.

"Luke Duke ooohhh you, boy." Boss shook his fist at the older Duke cousin. "Rosco lets get out of here, I need a shower. Darn Dukes." Boss fumed as he and Rosco hurried out of the woods the way they'd come.

* * *

"Uncle Jessie, Uncle Jessie." Bo, Luke and Daisy ran back to the farm house.

"What is it?" Jessie came out of the barn where he had been working on getting his tractor running right again.

"We were in the woods and there were men out there and one looked like a big marshmallow and the other was kinda silly." Daisy told Jessie without taking a breath.

"What were Boss and Rosco doing in the woods out back?" Jessie furrowed his eyebrows.

"Boss was saying something about finding a still? And eliminating the competition." Luke remembered.

Bo added "Luke dropped worms on them." Bo and the others laughed.

"You what?" Jessie didn't know if he should be upset or proud, it made him joyful to know that his brother's children had his brother's ornery streak.

"Luke dropped worms on them and they ran off." Daisy smiled. Jessie smiled at the thought of Boss and Rosco trying to get the worms off. He'd probably hear all about it next time he ran into Boss or Rosco and if he was right it wouldn't be the last thing Boss and Rosco would have to complain about from these three. Jessie had a feeling Boss and Rosco would someday meet their match when his three youngens grew up.

"Why don't you three go inside and wash up and see if your Aunt Martha needs help with anything." Jessie watched the three of them walk inside together. He was amused to see them all getting along so nicely. Now if he could just keep everyone this happy for the rest of the summer, he would be doing something.

**To be continued…**

**Please Read and Review…Thank you for Reading**


	4. Blood and Shine

**The Dukes of Hazzard **

**Only What We Can Handle**

Please read and review. Thank you

**Part 4: Blood and Shine**

"Luke what are you doing?" Bo turned on the light in their room and sat up in bed. Luke was standing by the window looking out.

"Watching Uncle Jessie." Luke looked over at his sleepy cousin.

"Watchen him do what?" Bo sat up and peaked out the window but didn't see anything interesting.

"Doing the same thing he's been doing every night this week, getting his lantern and walk out to the woods." Luke followed Jessie's movements in the dark and Bo yawned.

"We've got school tomorrow; I'm going back to bed." Bo turned the light out.

"Suit yourself; I'm going to see where he's going." Luke grabbed his shoes and creeping down the hallway and out of the house.

"Luke…." Bo knew he was gone and didn't know what to do about it. He got out of bed and went to the door. "Luke…" he whispered.

"Bo what are you doing out of bed?" Aunt Martha came out of her room in her nightgown.

"Aunt Martha, Luke went out after Uncle Jessie." Bo stood in the doorway barefoot.

"He did what!" Martha said louder then she meant too.

"He's gone out to follow Uncle Jessie." Bo said again as Daisy came out of her room rubbing her eyes.

"What's going on Aunt Martha?" Daisy had been woken up by her aunt and her cousin talking in the hall.

"Nothing's going on Daisy, now both of you go back to bed, you've got to get up for school in the morning." Martha shooed the kids back to bed in a hurry and went out to the porch. She could faintly see Jessie's lap light in the distance. There was nothing she could do but wait for Jessie to get back and hope that Luke was with him.

* * *

Jessie heard it again, the distinct sound of footsteps on dried leaves, he was certain someone was following him. He turned around and held his lantern high.

"Alright who's out there?" his rough tenor voice sang through the trees as Jessie scanned the woods around him.

"Luke, Uncle Jessie." Luke stepped out from where he'd been hiding.

"Luke!" Uncle Jessie walked towards him and saw his boy standing in his pajamas and sneakers. "Luke! What are you doing out here?" He came right up to the boy so they were both hallowed in the lantern's light.

Luke looked up at his father figure. "I'm following you."

"You should be in bed, why aren't you at home in bed?" Jessie was shocked Luke was out here in the woods with him.

"I wanted to see where you've been going?" The boy said as innocent as any Duke ever said anything. Jessie again looked down at his nephew and knew the only thing her could do was take the boy with him. If he took him home now, Luke would be out here again the next night.

"Alright Luke lets go." To Luke's surprise Jessie turned around and started walking purposely deeper into the woods, Luke fell in behind him.

* * *

Uncle Jessie put his hand out for Luke to stop, and hung his lantern on a low tree branch. Luke watched as Jessie pulled away a cover that he had thought was a pile of leaves to reveal a machine Luke had never seen. Jessie saw the brown haired 12 year old's eyes get wide.

"It's a still." He explained

"What's it do?" Luke watched as the lantern light danced on the brass surface of the still.

"This is the still your father, my brothers, and I have been using to make moonshine for thirty years. And our father and his brothers used a similar still and his father before him; you could say it's the family business."

"Really?" Luke walked around the still. "Why are you hiding it out here in the wood?" Jessie wasn't surprised that Luke asked this question he had been waiting for it. He had been hesitant tell the children about the "family business" because he was trying to teach them right from wrong and moonshine making was wrong in the eyes of the law and on a more personal level because in Jessie's mind it cause the death of their parents.

"Look son, we Dukes have been making and running moonshine for hundreds of year and we weren't going to stop just because the government made a law against it. Now because it's not exactly legal I'm forced to hide my stills and now that you know about it I'm going to ask that you don't tell anyone."

"Not even Bo and Daisy?" Luke wondered.

"Not yet, we'll tell them when they're old enough. For now we need to make sure that people like Boss Hogg don't find out where our still is." Jessie put the cover back on the still, he need to get Luke back to bed so there was no time to work tonight.

"Oh yeah I remember when he was snooping around out here and I dropped worms on him and the sheriff. So this is what he was looking for."

"Yes, and we've got trip wires and alarms set up so that if we're ever out here and someone gets too close we'll know and we can hide." Jessie grabbed his lamp and motioned for Luke to follow him back.

"What do you do with the moonshine once you've made it?" Luke stayed close to his Uncle so not to get too far out of the lantern light.

"Well I deliver it to paying customers. It's called running moonshine." Jessie ducked to avoid a low branch.

"OOooh. Do you have a lot of customers?" Luke got a chill from a gust of wind and Jessie pulled him close to him.

"Well I've got enough loyal customers to do a good business. If I had the time and money, which I've got neither of in these tough times, I'd fix up my old car Black Tillie and then I could run moonshine outside the county." Jessie thought fondly on his younger more reckless days.

"Black Tillie that's you're real fast car isn't it?" Luke loved it when Uncle Jessie took Black Tillie out of the garage to work on her; sitting in the front seat pretending he was a racecar driver was always a thrill.

"Yep, you need a fast car to run moonshine any length, cause you got to do it fast and not get caught, cause if you get caught you'll get in lots of trouble." Jessie thoughts turned to his brothers whose cars were just not fast enough on that fateful day.

"Uncle Jessie, will you teach me to drive?" Luke couldn't wait to get behind the wheel of a fast car.

"How old are you now, 12? Well next year when you're 13 if you're tall enough to reach the petals I'll teach you to drive." Jessie promised and he knew Luke would take it to heart. He could feel the excitement in the boy from where he stood.

"yeehaw" was all Luke managed to get out in his excitement.

* * *

When Jessie and Luke got back home they found Martha asleep on the couch.

"Luke go get to bed, morning's going to come real fast." Luke didn't say another word, just turned on his heels and headed to his room.

"Martha, Martha." Jessie gently shook his sleeping wife, who gradually opened her eyes.

"Jessie? What?" Them she realized where she was and why. "Luke! Jessie is Luke with you?"

"I sent him to bed." Jessie gave Martha a hand up.

"Did you take him all the way out there?" Martha held Jessie's hand on their way back to the bed room.

"I did." Jessie didn't turn on the light in their room instead he got undressed in the dark.

"I'm sorry Jessie." Martha knew he'd been wary of the day he introduced the children to his life, their parent's life.

"I know, I'm sorry too." Jessie put his head on his pillow and tried to sleep. He knew it was inevitable. That this was the life Luke, Daisy, and Bo were born too, they were Dukes and Dukes made moonshine, legal or not. Still Jessie couldn't help but feel guilty no matter how he justified it in his head. He wondered what the future would hold for the three children destine to walk the line as he and his brother's walked the line because of blood and shine.

To Be Continued…

Hope you like it so far…Let me know if you like it or hate it. Thanks for reading, I hope it's entertained.


	5. Hoggs and Mud

**The Dukes of Hazzard**

**Only What We Can Handle**

**Part 5: Hoggs and Mud**

Luke, Bo, and Daisy sat on the school bus on the long way back from 6th, 5th, and 4th grade respectively. Bo sat up front with his friend Trevor, comparing baseball cards. Daisy sat in the middle with her friend Sarah May and talked about silly girl things.

And Luke sat in the back talking to Mary Joe a pretty girl in his class "No, I can't go to the church picnic on Saturday I'm grounded. I have to help my uncle repaint the chicken coop and mend our fence; it's going to take all weekend at least." Luke hadn't thought being grounded would be so bad but now knowing that he could have seen Mary Joe at the picnic he was disappointed. She was really pretty and she was one of the smartest kids in the class.

She giggled "What are you in trouble for this time Luke?"

"I snuck out of the house the other night and followed my Uncle Jessie into the woods." Luke had nearly given Aunt Martha a fit with that "stunt" as she called it, so he'd been grounded. But it had been worth it.

"You went into the woods at night, wasn't it scary?" Mary Joe was a sweet little girl with pigtails and a dress, not a girl Luke could see going into any woods.

"It was spooky, but I wasn't too worried about it, I was following my Uncle Jesse and he's real brave." Luke hadn't been scared at the time he went into the woods but looking back he could see where it was a scary thing to do.

"Why was your Uncle Jesse going into the woods at night?" Whoops, Luke hadn't thought about her asking him that. He had to come up with something good to tell her.

"He was out hunting the fox that's been eating our chickens." Luke said unconvincingly but Mary Joe just nodded her head. Luke was about to ask Mary Joe what book she was going to read for the book report they had to do when someone pushed Luke in the back of the head. "Hey what's the big idea?" Luke turned to the person.

"Why are you talking to my cousin, Duke?" It was the 7th grade bully Hughie Hogg, boss Hogg's nephew who thought he was better then everyone else. There was no way he was better than anyone but he was defiantly meaner.

"What are you talking about Hughie?" Luke looked confused.

"Come on Mary Joe go sit somewhere else." Mary Joe got a hurt look on her face, but got up to move.

"Wait Mary Joe, where are ya going." Luke was hurt.

"I'm sorry Luke." Mary Joe got up and moved to the front of the bus.

"Why'd you do that Hughie, we were just talking." Luke got angry.

"No cousin of mine is going to talk to a low life, hillbilly, redneck, motherless, moonshine runner." Hughie spat with a villainous look on his face. Luke's face in contrast got bright red.

* * *

Martha came out of the house shaking her head and yelled across the yard. "Jesse, there was a fight on the school bus we've got to go to the school and pick the kids up." Jesse put down the shovel he was using.

"Who was in a fight?" Jesse and Martha got in the truck.

"Luke and that nasty little boy Hughie Hogg." Martha frowned, she and Jessie had known the Hogg family all there lives and well, Hughie Hogg was one of the worst, meanest, shadiest Hoggs she's ever seen.

Jesse drove straight to the school and he and Martha went to the office where they saw their three youngens sitting in a row out side the principle's office looking glum and guilty. Luke held a bag of ice to his cheek.

Martha went to him and lifted up his chin. "Let me see." Luke moved the bag of ice and showed his aunt his bruised cheek. "Oh that looks bad."

Bo snickered "You should see Hughie." Daisy hid her grin from the Uncle Jesse who was eyeing his niece and nephews.

"What happened?" Jesse asked exasperatedly.

"Hughie pushed Luke who was talking with Mary Joe Hughie's cousin then Hughie said some terribly mean things to Luke and Luke got mad and …." Daisy's story trailed off as she watched her Uncle's face get red.

"That Hughie Hogg did what?" Jesse's voice got high and his shoulders got tense, the one thing he wasn't going to stand for was anybody hurting his family.

The principle's door opened and J D Hogg and the principal walked out followed by Hughie his nose was bloody and his eye was black.

"I want this hoodlum taken care of." J D pointed at Luke who kept his eyes on the floor. Hughie stood behind his uncle and made faces at the Duke cousins who glared back at him.

"Now, J D the way I hear it, it was your nephew who started all this." Jesse defended his kin as Martha backed him up.

"That's not the way my nephew tells it, your little hoodlum is to blame. Hughie was just defending the virtue of my innocent little niece Mary Joe from the corrupting thoughts of that juvenile delinquent." Boss Hogg stuck his cigar back in his mouth.

"J D Hogg don't you call my boy a Juvenile delinquent when that boy of your brother's ain't done an honest caring thing in his life." Jesse was fuming.

"Gentlemen Gentlemen!" The principal stepped in. "Since we can't seem to get a clear account of what happened, the only fair thing to do is suspend both boys. But because Hughie's injuries are more extensive, Luke is suspended from school for two days." The principal said his piece and ushered all off the people out of the office, not paying any attention to protests from either side.

* * *

Back at the Duke farm the Duke dinner table was quiet as they sat down to eat. Uncle Jesse sat at the head of the table still fuming over this afternoon. Aunt Martha smiled and tried to have a calm dinner. Bo and Daisy whispered something to one another and Uncle Jesse scolded them "You know it's not polite to whisper at the table, we've taught you better than that."

"We're sorry Uncle Jesse." They apologized and went back to eating. Luke sat at the table pushing his dinner around his plate. "Can I be excused?" Jesse looked over at Luke with his eyes squinted.

"No you can't be excused, you're not going to waste all that food, after you eat then you can be excused." Luke huffed and propped his head on his hand.

"And get your elbows off the table." Jesse was testy.

"Sorry Uncle Jesse." Luke apologized, he felt awful about everything, fighting, getting in trouble, embarrassing Uncle Jesse and Aunt Martha and then there was all the Stuff that Hughie and Boss Hogg called him today.

* * *

After dinner it was getting dark when Jesse caught up to Luke who was out walking the fence.

"Luke hold up there we need to talk." Luke stopped and turned to his uncle. "Now you want to tell me what really happened on that bus today."

Luke looked up at his Uncle with big blue eyes. "Uncle Jesse I was talking with a girl." Jesse smiled inside; it would be about a girl.

"Well Hughie hit me in the back of the head and told me I wasn't to talk to his cousin cause I was a low life, hillbilly, redneck, motherless, moonshine runner." Luke said disquestedly.

"Well I never, the nerve of the, ooohhh if I could just…" Jesse got a hold of his temper. Luke looked sad and Jesse understood why. "Luke you can't pay no attention to Hughie Hogg he's a bully, he probably would have said anything just to get a rise out of you. It just so happens he chose the right words this time. And believe me you've got a right to defend yourself, but in a case like this if it happens again I want you to be the bigger man and walk away don't let the likes of that no good brat get to you. I know his words hurt you but they's just words and besides the people who matter the most: your family, know you and love you, it doesn't matter what somebody calls you." Luke looked out over the farm and let his uncle's words sink in.

"And don't you go thinking you're the first Duke to get in a fight that he probably shouldn't have. Cause your not, the Dukes and the Hoggs have been fighting each other for generations and more than a few of us have gotten in trouble for it." Luke turned back to his uncle.

"Did you ever get in trouble for fighting Uncle Jesse?" Jesse's ears blushed as he thought back to the numerous occasions he and his brothers had fought with J D Hogg and his brothers.

"Ohh a time or two." Jesse said without revealing too much. "Now you better go get ready for bed. Just because you can't go to school tomorrow doesn't mean you aren't getting up with the sun and putting a full day's work in." Luke looked at little less down and Jesse was glad for it.

"Tell me this girl is she that pretty little girl Mary Joe who always wears pigtails." Jesse smiled and Luke smiled back.

"Yeah, pigtails and pink dresses. She's real pretty." Luke was blushing now.

"Are you going to ask her to go with you to the church picnic?" Jesse asked.

Luke hitched his eyebrow "I can't go to the church picnic this weekend Uncle Jesse I'm grounded remember."

"Ooh well, I think if you work for me these next two days while you're suspended you'll be able to make it to the picnic." Jesse thought the boy was being punished enough.

"Thanks Uncle Jesse."

* * *

The day Hughie Hogg returned to school his desk was mysteriously filled with mud. No one at the school could figure out who did it. But when Jesse Duke over heard Boss Hogg rant about it down at the Boars Nest he had the feeling his younger niece and nephew had gotten revenge for their cousin, and he laughed.

To Be Continued………..

Wow that took a long time; I'm hoping the next chapter comes a bit faster. I hope this one is enjoyable, it took so long.


	6. Happy Birthday Luke

**The Dukes of Hazzard**

**Only What We Can Handle**

**Part 6: Happy Birthday Luke**

"Happy Birthday." Daisy jumped on Luke's bed and Luke pulled his pillow over his head. "Come on get up, it's your birthday." She tugged at the blanket he held tight.

"It's Saturday can't I sleep a little longer." Luke groaned. He was turning thirteen today and his cousins seemed more excited about it than he did.

"Come on Luke get up." Bo came into their bedroom. "Aunt Martha's made pancakes!" Luke could smell breakfast and it smelled wonderful.

"Ok, ok I'm up." Luke smiled as he slid on his pants over his boxers, buttoned up his shirt, and padded barefoot out into the kitchen with his cousins.

"Well there's the birthday boy. You finally got up." Martha put a stack of pancakes on the table and looked at her oldest nephew. He'd grown a good four inches over the past few months and he was luck it was his birthday because the pants he was wearing couldn't be let out anymore.

"Well come on and sit down you three the foods going to get cold." Jesse came in from outside and the family sat down. Jesse gave a blessing.

Bo excused himself from the table when Jesse had finished the prayer and came back with a small gift in blue paper. "Here Luke this is from me and Daisy happy birthday." Luke opened the small box and found a shinny new pocket knife.

"Thank you Bo, Daisy. You shouldn't have." Luke thanked them knowing how long it must have taken the two of them to save the money to get it.

Daisy smiled happily; glad her cousin liked his gift. "We figured you needed a new one after you bent the blade on your old one." Daisy saw Luke's eyes shifted to Uncle Jesse and back to her and knew she's said too much.

"What happen to your old knife, Luke?" Jesse looked suspiciously at the three children who seemed to get into more mischief than he or Martha could keep track of.

Luke got a guilty look on his face and he blushed from ear to ear. "I broke my knife trying to pry open an old trunk we found in the back of the barn Uncle Jesse." Luke knew he was going to be in trouble now.

To his surprise Jesse didn't say anything, he just got a thoughtful look on his face and Aunt Martha got up and got a couple boxes out of a cupboard "Happy Birthday Luke."

Luke took the boxes one was kind of heavy he opened it first. "New boots thank you." Luke got up and kissed his Aunt Martha's cheek.

"You're welcome dear. We know you need new ones and well I bought them a size too big so they should last a little while." Luke put them on there was definitely room to grow but not so much he couldn't walk. They were wonderful compared to his old ones that had started to pinch his feet so bad he often elected to just go barefoot, which annoyed Aunt Martha's lady friends in town and was causing Aunt Martha all new fits.

The other box was a bit lighter and inside Luke found a new pair of Levi's and a new button down shirt. "Thank you Aunt Martha, Uncle Jesse." Jesse looked down the table at his nephew. The little boy who'd been left in his care eleven years ago was becoming quite the gentleman and was well on his way to manhood. Jesse figured today was a good day for the next step.

* * *

The family finished breakfast and cleaned up and Aunt Martha announced that she and Daisy were going to bake a cake for later that evening and that they need to go to the store and get some groceries. They left leaving Jesse with the boys and a promise to fill.

Jesse was a little nervous but he'd been thinking about it and now seemed as good a time as any. "Come on boys." Jesse called to Bo and Luke as he loaded the old trunk from the back on the barn into the back of his pickup.

"What are we doing Uncle Jesse?" Luke asked when he and Bo saw the trunk.

"We're going for a drive." Luke cautiously walked around to the passenger side with Bo and got in. Jesse opened the driver's side door but didn't get it.

"Slide over here Luke." Jesse told him.

"What?" Luke looked at his Uncle.

"You're thirteen now aren't you, lets see if you can reach the pedals." Jesse remembered the promise he'd made to his nephew a few months back.

"Yes Sir!" Luke said enthusiastically as he slid over and put his foot over the truck's gas pedal. He just made it; he could reach the pedals and just see over the steering wheel.

"Well I guess it's time for your first driving lesson." Jesse handed Luke the key. Luke put it in the ignition and turned it till the engine caught.

Uncle Jesse got in on the passenger side and sat between Bo and Luke. "Now the pedals are the same as on the tracker the right is the gas and the left is the break. You're going to want to step on the brake and put the car in drive. Alright now ease on the gas." The pick up jumped forward and Jesse grabbed the dash.

"Yeeehoow" Luke hollered, and drove the truck off the farm and down the road. Luke was traveling now.

* * *

Rosco sat in his squad car at the speed trap on Old Mill Road. It had been a slow day no one had gone by all morning and Rosco's mind was wondering what he was going to get for lunch when Jesse Duke's truck came down the road going 30 in a 55 mile an hour zone.

"What the?" Rosco turned his lights and siren on and pulled out behind the white truck.

"What do we do, Uncle Jesse?" Luke saw the Sheriff behind him and started to panic. Uncle Jesse remained calm.

"Put your turn signal on and pull over to the side of the road and put her in park." Luke did as Uncle Jesse said with some assistance.

Rosco made his way up to the truck's cab "Jesse do you know you were doing 30 in a 55 zone? That's gonna cost you." Rosco opened his ticket book and looked in the driver's side window. "Whoa! You aren't Jesse." Rosco Jumped. "Luke Duke what are you doing behind the wheel of this vehicle?"

Jesse leaned over Luke. "Rosco I'm teaching him to drive. We weren't doing nothing wrong."

"Not doing nothing wrong, he wasn't going the speed limit Jesse." Rosco took out his pen and started to write.

"Rosco are you writing him a ticket?" Jesse got frustrated. "Rosco it's his birthday, he's just thirteen. How are you going to write a thirteen year old a ticket?"

"Today's your birthday Luke?" Luke nodded. "Well happy birthday."

"Thank you sheriff." Luke replied with big innocent eyes that made Rosco think again about the ticket.

"Well since it's your birthday Luke I won't write you a ticket, I'll just write you a warning. But if I see you out here going under the speed limit again I'm going to write you a ticket." Rosco tore off the warning and handed it to the boy. "So have you got any big plans for today?"

"Aunt Martha and cousin Daisy are making a cake." Luke smiled.

"Oh well isn't that nice." Rosco grinned back.

Jesse got out of the truck and came around to the Drivers side of the truck. "You're invited to stop by for some cake tonight if you'd like. And you can tell J D and Lulu they're invited too." Jesse got in the Drives side and Luke slide over.

"I'll tell them that thank you Jesse and happy birthday Luke." Rosco waved good bye as the Dukes drove off.

* * *

Jesse pulled his truck over on the back side of his property and he and the boys got out. "What are we doing out here Uncle Jesse?" Bo looked around; there was nothing but field and hay piles.

"We're out here for some target practice." Jesse found the key he was looking for and unlocked the old trunk he's brought with them. Luke watch as his uncle opened the trunk he'd been so interested in seeing into a few weeks earlier. Inside was something Luke never expected. Jesse took his brother's bows and arrows out of the trunk.

As he pulled each one out he examined it to make sure it was in working order. "Here Luke this one belonged to your father." He handed the bow to Luke and Luke's eyes got wide, it wasn't everyday his uncle gave him something that belonged to his parents and when he did it was always extra special.

"And this one belonged to your father Bo." Jesse handed Bo his Brother John's bow. Bo's eyes lit up like Luke's did and Jesse knew he'd done something special.

Jesse took out his own bow and some more arrows. "Look here boys you take these arrows and put the notch on the bow string. Then you hold it with your two fingers, hold the bow up and pull the string back, aim." Jesse aimed for the nearest bail of hay. "Then you let go." Jesse hit the bail in the center.

"Wow Uncle Jesse." Bo and Luke were awed and ready to try. Luke set his bow and aimed for the hay bail Uncle Jesse shot. He had a hard time pulling the string back but he got it. He let go, the arrow flew short of the hay bail and hit the ground.

"That was a good start Luke it's just going to take some practice." Jesse patted the boy on the back. Bo picked up an arrow and tried to load the bow but he was too young still and his little fingers clumsy with the unfamiliar instrument. Jesse helped him load the bow, draw back, and aim. The three Dukes stayed out in the field practicing with the Bows for a few hours before Jesse thought they should get back.

Jesse put the bows and arrows back in the trunk and locked it. "We'll practice again next weekend. For now I don't want you boys practicing without me alright." Luke and Bo both nodded, they'd wait till next weekend, but the wait would sure make the week long.

* * *

Later that evening after dinner Boss Hogg, Lulu, and Rosco stopped by for cake. Lulu and Martha hugged and Jesse shook the other men's hands. "Good of you all to come."

"Where's the birthday boy?" Lulu looked around.

Martha looked around and only saw Daisy and Bo. "Where's your cousin? That boy is always running off."

"I'm here Aunt Martha." Luke came in from the porch.

"Come say hello to Mrs. and Boss Hogg and Sheriff Rosco." Aunt Martha waved Luke over.

"Oh isn't he growing like a beanstalk." Lulu pinched Luke's cheek and Luke tried to smile threw the humiliation.

"Here you go Luke." Rosco handed Luke a bag. "Happy birthday."

"Thank you Sheriff Rosco." Luke opened the bag; it was a new Baseball hat. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." Rosco smiled and Boss Hogg grinned slyly.

"Those are right handsome boots you got on there." Boss was coming up with some crazy scheme. "I'll give you a whole ten dollars for them."

And Luke promptly shot his offer down before Jesse had to step in.

"Come on everybody I've got the candles on the cake, Luke come blow them out and make a wish." Aunt Martha put the yellow cake with chocolate frosting and thirteen blazing candles down on the table and everyone gathered around. Luke paused and thought then blew all the candles out in one breath. Everyone sang happy birthday and Bo added in a few "you look like a monkey and smell like one two." verses. Everyone laughed and Uncle Jesse handed Luke the knife so he could cut the first piece of cake.

"What did you wish for?" Daisy asked as she handed the first piece of cake off to one of their quests.

"If I told you it'd never some true." Luke said as a matter of fact.

"Oh, right, I forgot." Daisy licked the frosting off her fingers and started on her own piece of cake. Luke smiled maybe he should tell her what he wished for it was a pretty simple one; he had wished that next Saturday he'd get to sleep in longer than he had this weekend. It wasn't exactly the wish to end all wishes but it would make him happy and besides he'd learned long ago the easier the wish the more likely it was of coming true.

To Be Continued…

Thank you for reading and reviewing. I hope you're enjoying it.


	7. A Still Mind

**The Dukes of Hazzard**

**Only What We Can Handle**

**Part 7: A Still Mind**

Luke sat in the woods by Uncle Jesse's Still and poked at the ground with a stick. He wondered if this was normal, were other fourteen year olds minding their family stills after school or was he the only one. The still began to hiss and Luke moved a bucket under the spigot, then he sat back down and stared off into space as the moonshine dripped into the bucket at a steady and hypnotic rhythm.

"Hey cousin." Bo came up behind Luke. Luke jumped and reached for his bow and arrow, till he realized it was just Bo.

"Why are you sneaking about like that?" Luke said embarrassed he'd been spooked.

"Say isn't that the whole point cos." Bo came around to the still and looked in the bucket. "Looks good."

"Yeah. When's Uncle Jesse going to get here?" Luke looked up at the sky. The sun wouldn't be up much longer, and they need to get this moonshine put away safe. Bo replaced the full bucket with a new one and Luke helped him pour the shine into jars and put the jars into crates.

"Bo, Luke!" Daisy ran up threw the woods.

"What is it Daisy?" Luke didn't like the worry on her face. It told him things were wrong.

"Aunt Martha's gone to town she said that Boss Hogg's had Uncle Jesse put in jail." The little girl caught her breath.

"For what?" Bo said astonished.

"Jay walking and his bail is set at 300 dollars. Aunt Martha says we don't have the money to bail him out and if we don't get him out he can't make his deliveries and then we won't have the money to make the mortgage tomorrow and Boss Hogg will foreclose on the farm!" Daisy again filled the boys in on all they had missed while they had been out here and she had been at the house.

Luke thought for a moment "We can handle it"

"Handle what?" Daisy looked at him like he was speaking a different language.

"The delivery. I'll run back to the house and get Uncle Jesse's Truck." Luke was in devising mode and his cousins knew it well he always came up with something.

"Luke for one you've only driven a few times and never without Uncle Jesse and two Uncle Jesse had the truck in town and now Boss Hogg's had it impounded." Daisy again had more information than the boys and had to enlighten them.

"Alright Alright, then I'll get Aunt Martha's car." The wheels were still turning in Luke's brain.

"You can't Luke she took it into town to go talk with Uncle Jesse." Daisy said frankly.

"Than how are we going to deliver this shine?" Luke and the other's got very pensive.

Till an idea sparked for Bo "We could Harness Malden up to the hay cart and use that."

"Good thinking Bo." Daisy patted him on the back.

"Yeah I think that'll work. Ok you too finish filling up these jars and I'll go back and get Malden and the cart." Bo and Daisy agreed and Luke ran back to the farm.

Luke ran as fast as he could back to the farm, the sun was sinking very low in the sky now and Luke tripped when he didn't see a rock in his path. With no time to waste he didn't let himself fell the shock of the fall he just dusted himself off and kept going. When he got to the farm he was out of breath and wet with sweat. He bent over, took a deep breath, and wiped his forehead with his sleeve. In the barn he found Malden chewing hay in her stall.

"Hey there girl." Luke pet her head as he opened the stall's gate. The mule can out easily enough. Luke walked her out of the barn and tied her too a post and went back to get the cart.

* * *

"What was that" Bo jumped from his post at the still spigot when he heard an unfamiliar noise in the dark outside the lamp light Daisy had brought.

"That was just an owl you big scaredy cat. And Bo mind you don't spill any of that moonshine." Daisy poured the last full bucket into jars and packed the jars into crates.

"I'm not spilling any of it." Bo yawned loudly. "When's Luke gonna get here?"

"About now I'd say." Daisy looked threw the woods and saw the figure of their older cousin silhouetted by his own lantern.

"Is that the last of it?" Luke asked his cousins.

"Every last drop is in a jar." Daisy brushed her long hair out of her face.

"Then let's put out the fire in the still, Daisy you grab the two lanterns and Bo you come grab the other handle of this crate and help me." They had five crates of 8 mason jars and they could carry them by themselves and Malden couldn't get back threw the woods with the cart. So they made five trips to still and back.

* * *

It was getting to be nine thirty and Martha was wringing her hands with worry. It was dark and she hadn't been able to find the children since she got home, Jesse was in jail so he couldn't help her. She knew when she left they were out at the still, they must still be out there. They often followed Jesse out there and from what he'd told her they'd become quite skilled at monitoring the production of the moonshine.

But should she go out there and look? It seemed to be her only option. But what if she got all the way out there and they weren't there? Or they had come home and she wasn't there? What if they'd gotten lost or were hurt. She'd already called everyone she could think of to ask them if they'd seen her children.

Finally she made up her mind to walk out there. It was the only thing she had left to do. She grab a flash light and headed out. What she didn't know was that by the time she reached the woods. The old widower Mr. Parsons was already calling to tell her the children had just delivered his moonshine and he'd paid them double for this week and an advance on next week. To help get Jesse out of jail.

* * *

Martha sat on the ground and cried when she reached the still and it and the place was vacant. She's lost the children, she never could keep track of Luke but the other too were always so good, Daisy at the very least she thought would have come home at a decent hour. Now everything seemed to be falling apart. Tomorrow they were going to loss the farm when they couldn't make the mortgage. That's probably why the children ran away they couldn't stand the hand to mouth way they were living anymore.

Martha's thoughts came out of the dark that seemed to have taken up residence in her mind on this bleak and hopeless evening. She only knew she didn't want to go back to her problems, she instead turned her flashlight off and lay down in the dark and cried herself to sleep.

* * *

It was five in the morning and Luke slowly led Malden home. They'd been all over Hazzard and his cousins were asleep in the back of the cart. Luke kept his hand on the money in his pocket. It had taken them all night to make all the delivers on foot, but they did it and they had the money. Luke steered the mule into the barn.

"Hey you two get up." Luke called to the others. Bo and Daisy both groaned and stretched. "Come on and help me unhitch Malden." Luke said sluggishly. Bo and Daisy hailed themselves out of the cart and helped Luke. When they were done taking care of Malden they headed back to the farm house.

When they got into the house, there was no keeping Bo from his bed he was exhausted. Luke and Daisy went and knocked on Aunt Martha's door. When no answer came they opened it softly. "Aunt Martha?" Daisy whispered.

"Aunt Martha we're sorry we were out all night. But we got the money for the mortgage." Luke got no reply from the room so he turned on the light and he and Daisy were surprised at what they saw. "Luke's she's not here." Daisy stated the obvious. "Where could she be?"

"I don't know, did she stay in town or at a friends house last night?" Luke started to pace.

"Isn't her car parked out front?" Daisy could have sworn she saw it when they got to the farm but she could have been dreaming. Luke went to the front of the house and looked out the window.

"It's there." Luke turned back. "So where is she?"

* * *

In the woods the sun was just starting to come threw the trees and a strategic ray of sunlight came down right on Martha's face. She woke up wondering why her bed felt like she was sleeping on rocks. When her eyes fully focused she realized to her surprise she was sleeping on rocks.

She looked around and saw Jesse's cold moonshine still and remembered why she was out in the middle of nowhere sleeping on dirt. Martha picked herself up and brushed off and took a moment to pick the leaves and twig out of her hair.

She couldn't believe how badly she'd given up the night before, it had been like there was no fight left in her and that was sorely not the case.

Martha knew now what she had to do to save the farm and her family.

* * *

They'd spent an hour searching all the cracks and corners of the farm for Aunt Martha and after an hour she was still no where to be seen.

"Do you think we should check the woods?" Bo had gotten up and helped in the search though he hadn't been a great help, he kept stopping to sleep whenever he found a comfortable place.

"If we go into the woods we might miss her. I don't think that's the best idea, we should probably wait here for her." Luke was at a loss for what to do next. He wanted to find his Aunt but he didn't know where else to look. Little did he know he'd created the same stress in her the night before.

"Luke what about school?" Daisy knew they needed to start walking if they were going to catch the school bus.

"You can go if you want Daisy, but I think at the moment it's more important that we get this money to Aunt Martha so she can pay the mortgage." Luke sat down on the front step to waited.

* * *

"What do you mean you already paid?" Martha stood at Mr. Parson's front door.

"I tried to call you last night Martha. Your youngens came around with my delivery at about 9:30. I asked them why they were out so late without you or Jesse and they said that Boss Hogg put Jesse in jail and that they needed to get the money for the mortgage. I gave them the money for the delivery this week and next." Martha began to understand.

"Oh Thank You Mr. Parsons. Thank you so much." Martha turned and hurried off towards home. Things were looking better already.

"Good Luck Martha." Old man Parsons yelled after her.

* * *

"You need to go faster Luke." Bo told his cousin. "If Rosco catches you going under the speed limit you'll get a ticket for sure." The children had waited for Aunt Martha as long as they could now they needed to get into town to pay the mortgage, they didn't want to waste anymore time so they took Aunt Martha's car.

"I've got my foot down." The car was just slow at accelerating. Uncle Jesse was going to take it into the shop but there had been more important things that needed the money.

When they got to town Luke parked the car with some difficulty since he'd never had to park in a parking spot before. But after a few tries he got it right though not straight, he was inbetween the lines and that was all that mattered.

"Where do we take the money?" Bo looked around Hazzard square.

Luke shrugged. "Let's go see if we can find Uncle Jesse and ask him." The cousins went to the police station.

* * *

Jesse sat in his cell thinking. He thought of his family. He hadn't heard from Martha yet today and that was worrying him. Did she get the money to pay the mortgage? He didn't know.

"Psst. Uncle Jesse." Luke, Daisy, and Bo peeked down the staircase into the basement cells.

"What are you kids doing here? Why aren't you in school?" Jesse gasped the bars and watched his children sneak down the stairs.

"We got the money for the mortgage. Where do we take it?" Luke showed his uncle the money he was keeping in his pocket.

"Where did you get that?" Jesse hissed.

"We made your Deliveries!" Bo announced.

"SSSssssshhh." Luke and Daisy both hushed him.

"Where's your Aunt?" Jesse asked concerned.

"Uncle Jesse we haven't seen her since yesterday afternoon. We were working at the still all night and when we got back to the house she wasn't there." Daisy explained.

Jesse's brow creased that wasn't like Martha she had left him at 7 last night and then had to go to some friends and ask to borrow some money. Had she gotten home after that? "Alright you go over to the bank and give the mortgage money to Tom Reddish."

"Ok Uncle Jesse." They knew what they had to do and gave Uncle Jesse one last look and headed to the bank.

Once Jesse was sure the kids were out of the jail he called upstairs. "Rosco!"

"What are you yelling for Jesse?" Rosco came down the stairs playing the tough cop roll.

"Rosco I need to make a call." Jesse said desperately.

"Now Jesse you've already had your one phone call." Rosco answered matter of fact way.

"Rosco I've not got time for your take what you want from the law way of sheriffing. I'm worried about Martha." Jesse explained. "She's not come by yet today and I was expecting her."

"OOohhh, well I'm sure she's fine Jesse." Rosco did see the concern on Jesse's face. "Jesse, I'll go ahead and call out to the farm for you."

"Thank You." Jesse said with some relief, Rosco at least some of the time could be a decent and reasonable person.

* * *

"Thank You Sonny." Martha closed the car door. Mr. Straight had given her a ride when he came upon her walking into town from the farm.

Martha went first to the police station to see Jesse. When she walked in Rosco was at the front desk on the phone, he hung up as she walked passed him down to the basement. "Where do you think you're going and where have you been?"

"What are you talking about Rosco?" Martha was in no mood and had no time.

"I was just calling you on the phone; you've got Jesse worried about you." Martha was in a hurry.

"I going down to talk to Jesse now Rosco." She turned and flew down the stairs, Rosco started after her but thought better of it.

Jesse stood up in his cell "Martha!"

"Jesse! You haven't seen the children have you?" Jesse nodded. "You Have!" Martha was so relieved.

"They were just here; I sent them over to the bank to pay the mortgage." Martha finally felt the weight and grief she'd been carrying for what seemed like a week lift off her shoulders.

"Oh thank the Lord."

Jesse eyed her. "Martha, where have you been? The children said they hadn't seen you since yesterday."

"I've been looking for those children and trying to figure out how to save the farm. It seems that they've been one step ahead of me all along." She sighed as she thought on the last twenty four hours. She had thought they were going to lose everything but it all seemed to be working out now.

"I guess it's all handled then." Jesse mused; apparently the Duke family had had quite an adventure while he was stuck behind bars.

"Well I better go see that the children got to the bank alright." Martha kissed Jesse threw the bars. Only later would she think about how strange it was, how comfortable and normal kissing threw cell bars had seemed. Of course she was married to a Duke; they didn't ever go too long without being locked up in Hazzard County.

* * *

"What are you kids doing out of school anyway?" The bank man eyed the three children who were trying to give him three hundred dollars.

"I told you before we're here to pay the mortgage on the Duke farm." Luke was getting exasperated; this man didn't want to take his money.

"Aunt Martha!" Bo said as soon as she walked in the bank.

"Bo." She hugged the boy and kissed the cheek of Daisy who joined them. Luke stood at the desk still trying to give the man his money.

"Tom would you let the boy pay you." Martha directed. Finally Tom took the money and Luke could relax.

All was right again in the Duke family, except of course that Uncle Jesse was still in jail.

"Aunt Martha where have you been?" Daisy asked as they all left the bank.

Martha laughed. "Where have you three been?"

"We…" Luke started. Martha stopped him.

"Save it. Well talk about it after we get lunch I'm starved." Martha steered the kids towards the dinner.

"Wow so am I." Bo noticed.

"What about Uncle Jesse, Aunt Martha." Daisy asked looking over towards the jail.

"Don't worry honey they feed the prisoners." Martha laughed again, it felt good to laugh. "We'll work on getting him out after lunch."

"I think we can handle it." Luke said proudly after all he and his cousins had saved their farm.

"You know I believe you can." Martha smiled and the children smiled back.

To Be Continued…

If you're following this story and waiting for updates, I just wanted to let you know I do intend to finish this story so just be patient with me and I promise I'll get it done. Thank you for reading and reviewing I hope you're enjoying it.


	8. Accusations and Tests

Part 8: Accusations and Tests

"I'm Sorry about your fence Fran, I'll send the boys over to fix it as soon as they get back." Aunt Martha spoke on the phone to an angry neighbor.

"Martha you have to do something about those boys, they're dangerous." Martha rolled her eyes Fran was always blowing things out of proportion.

"Fran you know there just good ole boys, they're never meaning no harm." Bo and Luke were nearly attached at the hip now, Luke was 16 and Bo was 14.

"Martha they may mean no harm but I swear they've been in trouble with the law since the day they were born." Fran jabbed.

"Now that's unfair, they're just making there way the only way they know how." Martha defended her boys, she seemed to be doing that a lot lately.

"They destroyed my mailbox last year, Martha that could have been a small child. They're two moonshine running hooligans."

"Alright Fran." Martha didn't want to argue about it anymore she was tired.

"There going to go the same way there Daddies did I don't know if it'll be the law or the mountain. I just prey they don't take anyone innocent with them."

"Alright Fran, I send the boys over and I'll see you at church on Sunday. Good bye Fran." Martha got off the phone with her neighbor as fast as she could, she didn't like the conversation.

"Who was that?" Daisy came into the kitchen as Martha hung the receiver back in the cradle.

"Oh Mrs. Bryan. Your cousins broke her fence and she called to report, just like she does on everything else she sees them do wrong." Martha shook her head. Daisy watched her Aunt who looked worn out sit down at the table.

"What am I going to do with those boys?" Martha rapped her hands around the cup of coffee Daisy set in front of her.

"They're good boys Aunt Martha, there just a little wild." Daisy tried to defend her cousins but ever since Luke turned 16 and started running moonshine for Uncle Jesse on a regular basis they'd been getting into trouble.

"What's happening with the boys?" Jesse came into the kitchen with a bucket of fresh peas.

"Oh they ran threw Fran Bryan's new fence." Jesse sighed and shook his head but had a slight smile to himself. Those boys were nothing if not their father's sons.

"Well they'll just have to go over there and fix it." Jesse poured himself a cup of coffee and had a seat.

"I told Fran they'd be over as soon as they got back. But she's so insistent that Bo and Luke are well a menaces to society."

"She said what?" Jesse gulped the coffee he was about to swallow

"The same thing she always says. Remember last year when the boys ran into her mailbox, I didn't hear the end of it. Jesse you need to have a talk with them." Jesse noticed the paleness in Martha face as she excused herself from the table and went back into their bedroom.

"Daisy would you get started on shelling those peas for dinner?" She nodded and took the bucket and a bowl out onto the front porch as Jesse got up from the table and followed Martha back.

"Martha what's the matter and I know it isn't the boys?" Jesse found her sitting at the end of their bed staring at the wall.

"I don't know Jesse. Your right it isn't just the boys they haven't done anything they've never done before it's just I'm tired Jesse. I feel like I can't deal with any of it any more. I just want to sleep." Jesse came and sat down next to her and she laid her head on his shoulder.

"When's that doctors appointment in Atlanta?" Jesse knew what was on her mind, it was on his too.

"Monday at 3:00." Martha frowned. She didn't like that Dr. Prichard was sending her to Atlanta for tests.

"Alright then lets not worry about it Martha. You'll go, you'll be fine and we can get on with our lives." Jesse kissed the top of her head as he heard a car pull up. "Sounds like the boys are back." He and Martha sat there for a moment more then went to confront their nephews.

* * *

"You're in trouble." Daisy warned from the step as her two cousins got out of their car, an old clunker they'd picked up cheap after working odd jobs for the better part of a year. The two shared nearly everything now. Some said they were closer than brothers.

"We're in trouble. Why?" Bo asked confused as he shut the car door with a bang.

"You don't think they heard about the fence we broke on Mrs. Bryan's property do ya?" Luke asked under his voice.

"Oh they did. Mrs. Bryan called and talked to Aunt Martha and you're going to get a talking to." Daisy also said under her voice.

"Luke, Bo I want to talk to you boys in here." Uncle Jesse called from inside.

"Here we go." Luke started up the steps.

"Wish us luck Daisy." Bo said as he passed her.

"You know I do coz." Daisy chuckled, they were gonna get it.

* * *

Inside was darker than outside and Bo and Luke had to let their eyes adjust. When they did they saw Aunt Martha sitting at the kitchen table and Uncle Jesse standing gripping the back of a chair.

"Sit down." Jesse instructed them to two of the remaining chairs. "We've heard you boys have been busy this morning and we know you're going to be busy this afternoon." Jesse did the talking Martha just looked annoyed at the end of the table.

"What happen Uncle Jesse was…" Luke tried to explain.

"I don't want to hear it now you just listen. You broke the Bryan's fence so you're going to go and fix it this afternoon."

"But Uncle Jesse." Bo started.

"Don't "But Uncle Jesse" me, you'll go over there and fix the fence, then you'll stay away from the Bryan farm." Jesse pointed his finger at the boys in punctuation.

"But Uncle Jesse." Luke started.

"I said don't "but" me boy, you messed up one to many times and Mrs. Bryan's sure that you're going to be the death of her. So you both need to stay away from there."

"I was showing Bo a new short cut. I didn't know the Bryan's put up a new fence, it was an accident." Luke finally got out.

Aunt Martha was done and her voice wavered slightly. "Luke no more short cuts, don't go threw their farm again I don't care if you have to go 10 miles out of your way. If Fran Bryan calls me again to tell me I've raise a couple of criminals, I don't know what I'll do."

"Alright Aunt Martha we're sorry." Luke felt really bad now.

"And because you have to go over and fix Mrs. Bryan's fence. And that means we can't get the ditch dug like I wanted so you two are going to be spending your afternoons this week digging it."

"Yes sir." Luke and Bo said disappointedly.

"Now both of you get on over to the Bryan's and apologize and you mind Mrs. Bryan." Jesse gave them a stern look and they pulled themselves up and trudged out the door like two defeated men.

"Have fun fellas" Daisy laughed from the front porch, she knew how much fun Mrs. Bryan could be.

* * *

As soon as the boys had finished the fence Mrs. Bryan had something else for them to do and so it went on into the evening "would they go wash the windows" and "could they trim her bushes" and "the dog needed a bath." By six O'clock the boys were exhausted and hungry.

"We're real sorry we broke your fence Mrs. Bryan we've really got to be going now Aunt Martha and Uncle Jesse will be expecting us home for dinner." the boys tried to make a retreat. she'd worked them all day long.

"Oh Just one more thing I need boys." Bo huffed and Luke elbowed him. "Could you boys come inside and hammer a nail into the wall? I want to hang a picture."

They complied reluctantly and followed her into the house. Into her living room which had lots of pretty little knick knacks and lace.

"Right there boys behind the sofa." She handed Luke a nail and the hammer. Luke wondered why exactly they were in there with all her pretty things when they were a dirty mess after working outside all day. Luke moved the sofa out and moved behind it. He put the nail up.

"Higher." Mrs. Bryan instructed. Luke moved the nail up higher. "Higher." she said again.

"Is this good?" He held it up.

"A little to the left." Luke moved.

"You went too far go back. Back . Good right there." Luke held the nail above his head and started to hammer as Mrs. Bryan looked on and Bo held the large picture she wanted hung. On the last hammer strike Luke hit his thumb and yelped. "you alright Luke?" Bo asked.

"I'll be fine." Luke shook his hand in hopes the pain would subside it soon became a throbbing ach.

"Well that looks in far enough. Bo you go back there and hang the picture." Bo did as he was told but being only fourteen and clumsy he accidentally struck one of the end tables maneuvering the large picture back to it's place and a little porcelain dog fell off the edge and busted.

"OH geez Mrs. Bryan I'm sorry." Bo apologized but Mrs. Bryan's face got red.

Luke picked the pieces of the little figurine off the floor. "I think it can be glued. If you have any I'll do it for you."

The woman didn't reply she just stood there with a look of horror on her face. Bo hung the picture up on the wall not noticing if it was straight or not he got out of there and grabbed Luke by the arm and started heading for the door. "I really think we need to get home Mrs. Bryan."

Luke handed the woman the fragments of the dog. "Sorry again about the fence and everything." Luke dug the keys out of his pocket and he and Bo left.

"We're going to be in trouble again aren't we?" Bo asked as he climbed into the passenger's seat.

"Yeah she's probably in there calling Aunt Martha right now." Luke sighed, it was like they couldn't do anything right.

* * *

When they got home it was dark and dinner was cold. "How long does it take to mend a fence?"

"Sorry Uncle Jesse Mrs. Bryan kept coming up with other stuff she wanted us to do and well we didn't know how to say no." Luke apologized.

"She hasn't called has she?" Bo asked anxiously.

"No why?" Aunt Martha got a concerned look on her face.

"Well there was a small accident." Bo bit his lip and Luke held his thumb.

"What happened." Uncle Jesse said sternly. All he wanted was to the boys to learn their lesson and it seems they didn't.

"Well I knocked over one of her little porcelain thingies and it broke." Bo explained.

"What were you doing in the house?" Aunt Martha asked.

"We didn't want to be but she asked us to come in and hang a picture for her. I thought it was strange since she'd had us working outside all day and we were all dirty." Luke looked at his hands turning them over to look at the dust and dirt he'd acquired, he'd like to take a shower.

Then Aunt Martha took a hold of his hand. "What happened to your thumb?" It was turning a nice shade of purple.

"I hit it with the hammer when we were hanging the picture." Martha looked at Jesse and let go of Luke's hand.

"You boys go get cleaned up, and then you can eat. Luke put some ice on you thumb." Jesse and Martha stood alone in the kitchen after the boys went to wash up.

"She had them inside on purpose didn't she?" Jesse shook his head. He hated to think anyone would be that mean but Fran had been complaining about the boys for a long time and now she had another story to tell the old ladies in town.

"Knowing Fran she must have had a good idea they'd wind up breaking something, or getting something dirty. I don't understand her. Why would she do that?" Martha also always tried to see the good in people and this was just too cynical for her to believe.

* * *

The next day the Duke family got up early, got dressed in their best clothes, and went to church, like they did every Sunday. After Church let out they started to understand what Mrs. Bryan meant to do. There was gossip flying among the church women about the Duke boys. Mrs. Bryan had told all the ladies how the clumsy boys had broken her most prized porcelain dog and how the ill tempered and ill mannered boys had run out leaving her house dirty and how Luke had yelled when he hit his thumb with the hammer and how they acted like they'd been brought up in a barn. Aunt Martha's face turned bright red when she heard the women chattering, she meant to go say something to them but Jesse steered her in the other direction and told her they weren't worth her aggravation. Jesse was disappointed in the pettiness Mrs. Bryan was displaying and Martha didn't need to be any part of it.

* * *

That evening Jesse got a call that his Aunt Edith was very sick and that he she was asking for him. He then had a decision to make, go and see his aunt or go with Martha to Atlanta. He discussed it with Martha. They both agreed that Aunt Edith was getting old and that this might be very serious.

"I can't let you go to Atlanta alone." Jesse was torn.

"What about Luke, he could drive me." Martha suggested. Jesse thought about it, it would be better than letting Martha go alone.

"Well if you're alright with Luke going." Jesse agreed reluctantly.

* * *

They'd told him last night that he was to come home from school after lunch and take Aunt Martha to Atlanta. When he'd asked why they explained she had to have some tests done at the hospital there, and he had to take her because Uncle Jesse had to go see his Aunt Edith. They'd assured him that it was just simple tests and not anything to worry about. But now sitting in the waiting room in the big cold hospital he was starting to worry. It had been over an hour and Aunt Martha still hadn't come back. He'd read all the magazines in the waiting room and now he didn't know what to do with himself. He fought the need to get up and pace, instead his knee bounced.

He sat there thinking about how Aunt Martha had asked him not to mention this to Bo or Daisy. He understood that she didn't want them to worry a small part of him wished he could be so blissfully ignorant now.

* * *

Later after hours of worried waiting Luke and Martha where on their way home and decided to stop and get something to eat. Martha ordered tea and Luke ordered coffee and they sat.

"I'm really proud of you, you know." Martha said quietly.

Luke smiled to himself. "Yeah?"

"You've really grown into a smart and handsome young man." Martha put her hand on top of his on the table.

"Aunt Martha, is it serious?" Luke's eyes pleaded with her.

She frowned "The doctors think it's cancer." Luke griped her hand. "The tests should be completed by the end of the week and then hopefully we'll know."

"It'll be ok." Luke tried to be comforting.

"I know, it will be." Martha tried to comfort him.

To Be Continued….


	9. Pains and Small Hopes

**Dukes of Hazzard**

**Only What We Can Handle**

**Part 9: Pains and Small Hopes **

It had taken 6 months the disease that was suppose to take her in 3. Jesse had been there the moment she died. He watched as her spark of life left her and held her hand as he prayed for her soul on its way to Heaven. I had been 4 weeks since she's gone and Jesse's greatest condolence was that she was no longer in pain. He on the other hand was in a constant state of ache. His mind ached in the morning when he woke up with out her. During the day he ached as he went about his work with out her. And now at dusk as he sat on the porch his mind turned Martha yet again and the lonely bed he would have to return to without her. He wondered if he would ever get use to it; sleeping alone, if he ever really wanted too? Maybe he would just spend another night on the coach, one more night wouldn't hurt.

Inside Jesse heard Daisy and Bo doing the finishing up the dishes. They were relaxed and laughing, teasing each other with soapy hands. It was good to hear them laugh again. The house had been quiet for far too long. Since Martha had been sick, no one talked too loud and the only laughing was soft chuckles to mask tears. The kids were getting back to normal as children should. It seemed Luke had been taking it the hardest of all the kids. Despite Luke's trying to deal with the situation Martha's illness had just made him angry and being unable to help or control things made it all the worse. There was more than one day when Luke was sent home from school for getting into a fight and more than one evening friends had brought him home from the boars nest after he'd been in a row. After Martha's death Luke had the hardest time talking about it so instead of dealing with the situation at home he escaped by staying out and keeping his distance even from Bo.

"Where have you been you missed dinner?" Daisy stopped chasing Bo around the kitchen as their solemn cousin came in the back door.

"No where. Where's Uncle Jesse." Daisy and Bo looked very young to Luke these days and he wanted little to do with their games.

"He's out front on the porch. You're going to be in trouble." Bo told his cousin but he knew Luke didn't care these days. Bo was angry with Luke because Luke didn't seem to care about anything these days.

"Oh well." Luke moved threw the kitchen past his cousins who no longer felt like playing after being under Luke's dark cloud, they started putting up the rest of the dishes.

* * *

Luke stepped out on to the front porch and the screen door shut with a "thwap" behind him.

"You missed dinner." Jesse said without looking at his nephew.

"I ate." Luke replied.

"Well then I'm glad you've come to grace us with your ever so happy presences since you don't seem to need us anymore." Jesse spoke more bitterly then he meant too but it was how he felt. He got up and started to head into the house when Luke stopped him cold.

"I joined the Marines today?" Jesse's face turned white.

"You did what?" Jesse turned back to the boy who was as tall as he was and as lean as he used to be.

"I joined the Marines." Luke repeated.

"Why'd you?" Jesse was in shock. The boy had never expressed an interest in the military and had always had mixed feelings about the war that was going on. "You're not even 18!" Jesse's thoughts turned with horror to loosing this young man he loved.

"I'll be 18 in 2 months I ship out the day after." Luke's face remained expressionless, though his eyes held volumes of uncertainty. Jesse could think of nothing else to say, nothing else to do save taking the boy in his arms and embracing him but he couldn't, neither Jesse nor Luke was ready for it. It would be a whole 2 months with cold shoulders and angry words before they finally let go of their baggage and hugged. It was their hug goodbye.

* * *

Bo missed Luke awful bad, everyday he hurried home from school hoping a letter had come from him and every day he preyed it wouldn't be the bad kind. The kind that no one talked about and everyone dreaded. Uncle Jesse didn't say much these days he hadn't gotten the chance to let his wounds heal from Aunt Martha's passing, then Luke left, and then Great Aunt Edith passed. It was a difficult time in the Duke house hold; money was tight as usually but things were not happy. Bo was starting to think for the first time in his life that maybe there were things Uncle Jesse couldn't handle, that they couldn't handle and it scared him.

The letter that arrived that day talked about how Luke missed them and how he'd been competing in boxing and having a good time. Nothing to scare or worry them which in someway was more worrying than not.

Bo left most of Luke's things untouched on his side of the room but he taken Luke's pocket knife and carried in around with him as good luck charm. As a way to keep Luke close to him and safe.

* * *

Her friends asked about him all the time and the best she could tell them most days was that she didn't know. She sometimes thought her friend Summer missed Luke more than she did. Crushes were like that, Daisy had had her own. She missed Luke terrible and worried about him out in the world in some foreign country. Some how she'd known he'd be leaving, after Aunt Martha died. She resented it, why did he get to leave, Leave Her, Bo, and Uncle Jesse to pick up the pieces. How dare he cause them added stress, who did he think he was. Everyday she hoped from a letter from him and not the sad kind the one that told you he wasn't coming home for good. Darn him he better come home and it better be in one piece or he'd get a piece of her mind.

* * *

Jesse tended his farm and all the things on it, he did the best that he could. Each day was a trail every task a testament to his perseverance. This particular day found him banging a loose board on the porch back into place when the mail came. He thanked Mrs. Mayberry for delivering his mail. He shuffled through the usual mail junk and bills nothing special till he came to one that was from Luke. His heart jumped as it always did when he got on of Luke's letters and he wasted no time tiring into it. The Letter started as all Luke's letters did. "Dear Uncle Jesse, Daisy, and Bo I hope you're all well, I miss you very much." There was nothing Jesse hadn't read before in the middle, what caused Uncle Jesse to jump and run to his truck was at the end.

* * *

Bo was called out of class by the principal as he walked down the hall to the office he wondered what it was he could have done to get into trouble, that was until he saw his cousin down the hallway. "Hey Daisy wait up." Bo sped up to catch her.

"Bo were you called out of class too?" Daisy asked as connections started to form in her mind.

"Yeah, what do you think it…..oh. NO." Bo's eyes got wide and Daisy's did like wise. They both took off running in the direction of the office. When they turned the corner they could see Uncle Jesse up ahead with his back to them, he turned when he heard them coming. Bo and Daisy saw his eyes were red and puffy. Their hearts fell as they stopped before him, they're minds finding all kinds of horrors and nightmares to settle on. Then it happened.

Jesse's face broke into a wide smile, like the cousins hadn't seen in what seemed like years. "He's coming home." Was all Jesse had to say for the fear to melt away. Jesse embraced his two children and couldn't wait to have the third back so he could do the same.

* * *

The worst was the waiting. Bo thought as he looked out the window of the room he and Luke would share again soon.

To Be Continued…

I'm trying to finish these before the distractions get too great. My interests have already moved to new things. I really want to finish this though so hang on I think I've got one more chapter in me. Thank you to every one who's been reviewing and asking for more I appreciate it so much, you've really kept the story alive.


	10. Home Again

**Dukes of Hazzard**

**Only What We Can Handle**

**Part 10: Home Again**

Jesse scanned the young men getting off the Bus in Atlanta. They were all wearing green uniforms and carrying large duffle bags. Jesse searched for Luke as he held onto Daisy's hand and Bo's shoulder. "There!" Bo pointed, Luke had stepped off the Bus . Daisy and Bo broke from Jesse's grasp and Ran to there cousin. It had been a year since they'd seen him. Jesse hurried along after them.

Luke stepped off the bus in Atlanta and scanned the swarming crowd of people for familiar faces. He wore his dress uniform and tried not to notice when people passing looked his way. He held the duffle he had slung over his shoulder tightly as the people bustled around him. He stood at the sidewalk as the bus doors closed with a hiss and the large vehicle trudged on up the road.

He took his hat off and looked around again trying to see over the heads and threw the shoulders of the human traffic. Not knowing what more he could do he chose to make his way over to a bench to wait it was then that he heard it. What he'd been waiting for. What he'd been dreaming of. It rose over the people milling around the street like a song. Cut threw the noise of cars and the city right to his ears as a reflex he instantly made himself as tall as he could and strained his senses for his next command when it hit him or rather she hit him or rather Daisy practically tackled him as she threw herself into a big bear hug.

"WELCOME HOME LUKE!" She squeezed him tight. Luke shut his eyes and hugged her tightly back. When they finally came apart Bo was standing at Luke's side.

"Hey." Luke Greeted them.

"Hey." Bo said evenly as he bounced on back and forth on the balls of his feet.

Luke looked the younger man up and down. "You've grown." He said surprised. In his head he had been coming home to the same Hazzard this was the first sign that time hadn't stood still while he was away.

Bo nodded shyly. Something about Luke in his uniform made him seem older, and not like the boy he'd been best friends with.

Luke smiled at Bo and hugged him. It was a quick hug but it conveyed what both boys meant to say.

When Jesse finally caught up with his child Daisy had unconsciously laced her fingers with Luke's and had no intentions of letting go and Jesse stood before the three of them. "Luke."

"Hold this for me Bo would ya." Luke slipped the duffle off his shoulder and handled it to Bo. "Sure thing Luke." Bo took it and lugged it onto his own shoulder, surprised at how much it weighed.

Luke looked the older man in the eyes and smiled wide and untangled himself from his cousins. "Uncle Jesse!" Luke shook the older mans hand and Jesse pulled the boy to him into a hug.

Jesse took off his red cap and they hugged. "I'm glad you come home to us boy."

"Me too Uncle Jesse."

* * *

The car ride back to Hazzard Luke sat in the front seat quietly smiling as his cousins told him everything he'd missed while he'd been gone. Jesse drove stealing side long glances at the passengers seat. There had been times over the past year where he was certain he would never see Luke again, but there he was alive and well and back where he belonged.

"Welcome home Luke." Daisy kissed his check once they'd all piled out of the car in front of the old farm house. Jesse patted him on the back and Bo grabbed his duffle from the trunk. Luke just stood there caught up in his emotions. The farm looked just as it did when he left. "Don't just stand there cos, come on." Bo didn't know why Luke was standing outside looking at the farm like he'd never seen it before. All Bo knew was that he was hungry and Jesse and Daisy were getting the roast beef out of the oven.

Inside the house smelled wonderful. The roast had been in the oven all day with potatoes and carrots. Uncle Jesse put some Ice on the table and Daisy grabbed some plates. "Have a seat Luke, relax." Daisy set the plates out on the table. Luke left his duffle bag in the sitting room and sat down at the kitchen table. Bo sat down across from him. "What was it like?" He asked curiously. Luke looked his cousin in the eyes. "What was what like?"

"You know, fighten." Jesse watched the exchange he knew Bo idealized his cousin. Luke's expression which had been calm and content, turned very stern. Jesse knew that look he'd seen in other veteran's eyes. "Bo would you get some glasses." Bo was waiting for an answer from Luke. "Bo the glasses." Bo grudgingly got up.

* * *

That night Luke took off his uniform and hung it in the closet. He put on his shorts and a t shirt and got into the bed he'd slept in since he was a child. Bo slept in the bed next to him like he always had. It felt good at first to be in his own bed, it felt like home. As he fell asleep though a feeling of dread crept into the back of his mind. the wariness of the battlefield refused to let go, Luke tried to relax to put everything behind him. He tried to focus on Bo snoring softly three feet from him, but then other noises caught his attention. In the back of his mind Luke knew they were the old house settling, He knew that it was the trees outside blowing in the wind but he couldn't help but be concerned. After two long hours Luke finally got up. He went into the kitchen and got a glass of water and then went out to the living room and sat on the couch.

He focused on a family picture that sat on the mantle above the fireplace. He forced the thoughts of enemies and fighting and fear to the back of his mind and tried to focus on the happy times he had here in this house with his family. In the picture Uncle Jesse and Aunt Martha stood behind him and his cousins. Luke remembered the day well he had been fourteen and all he had been interested in was fishing. He was down by the crick just about every free moment he had. Bob usually came too. That particular day Aunt Martha had them put on their good Sunday close even though they weren't going to church. she'd told them that they were going into town to the photographer, so they shouldn't go running off because they would be leaving soon. But the boys couldn't just sit there all day and wait while their Aunt and Daisy did their hair and fused with their makeup. They'd grabbed their fishing poles and snuck off. Bo kept complaining that his shoes were hurting him so he took them off and left them under a tree for save keeping. Once they were at the crick it had gotten so hot that Luke took his jacket off and laid in on a rock. The fish had been biting that day, Luke had gotten a particularly big one that wanted to put up a fight. As he tried to reel it in he heard Uncle Jesse calling threw the woods for him and Bo. Luke then in him hurry to get the fish reeled in stepped back onto the rock and his coat which he slipped on. He had fallen back, his feet flying out from under him, his coat slid into the crick. Luke remember that when they'd been thoroughly lectured and returned to the house by Uncle Jesse, Aunt Martha had laughed at them. Luke in his wet coat and bruised butt and Bo shoe less because he couldn't find the tree he'd left them under. They'd were grounded for three weeks after that but they were still smiling in the picture.

"Are you alright Luke?" A voice came from behind him and made him jump. He turned and saw Uncle Jesse standing in the dim light.

"Yeah Uncle Jesse I'm alright, I'm sorry if I woke you." Jesse looked threw squinted eyes at the boy.

"Alright, don't stay up too late, there's work to be done tomorrow." Jesse turned and headed back to his room. Luke laid his head on the back of the sofa and smiled sadly as he turned over his Uncle's words in him mind. There was work to be done, That's what he would have to focus on the work, that would keep his mind off of the unpleasant things he'd seen.

Luke fell asleep on the couch dreaming of car engines and 2 by 4s.

* * *

He'd been on a mission since the day after he got back. that morning Luke went and got dressed he's old pants were too big and his old shirts were too small. He'd definitely gotten broader in the shoulders. So he borrowed some of Bo's old pants and one of Uncle Jesse's old shirts. With his hair cut short like it was and how he'd slimmed down Jesse was amazed at how like his brother Luke looked.

Luke walked every inch of the Duke property in the next two days, and kept mostly to himself. Settling on building a new roof for their old chicken coop so they could use it .

Bo had offered to help but Luke mad it clear he wanted to do it himself. Bo had then sulked around half the day before Uncle Jesse caught up with him and gave him a job. "I need you to take the truck, go into town and get get me a can of white paint, and why don't you see if your cousin needs anything."

Bo kinda grumbled. "What was that?" Uncle Jesse asked.

"Nothing, well Luke hasn't said nearly two words to me since he's been back. I don't get it Uncle Jesse I thought it'd be different than this." Jesse understood, Bo had grown up in the two years and was ready to be friends with Luke but Luke wasn't ready to be real social yet. "You give it time Bo, just give it some time, Now go ask your cousin."

Bo went and found Luke. "Hey cos I'm going into town do you need anything?"

Luke looked up slowly from what he was doing. "I could use some more of those long four inch wood nails." Luke said and then went back to what he was doing.

"Wood nails yeah ok." Bo started to go, but then had a thought. "Why don't you come with me." Luke creased his eyebrows obviously thinking about Bo's proposal. "The chicken coop can wait and you could look for a new shirt." Bo suggested.

Luke thought about it and looked up at Bo. He thought maybe it wasn't such a bad idea going into town with his cousin. "Yeah alright." Luke agreed and put his tools back in the tool box. "Great." Bo's expression completely change and he grinned from ear to ear.


End file.
